Driving User Engagement in the Emerging Electric Vehicle Market: The Role of Perceived Affordability, Maintenance Efficiency, AI-Enabled Smart Features, and Environmental Awareness toward BYD in Indonesia

Abstract— The increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has accelerated the transition toward sustainable transportation and intensified competition within the automotive industry, including in Indonesia. While previous studies have extensively examined factors influencing EV purchase intention and adoption, limited research has focused on user engagement toward EV brands and technologies, particularly in emerging markets. This study examines the effects of perceived affordability, maintenance efficiency, AI-enabled smart features, and environmental awareness on user engagement toward BYD electric vehicles in Indonesia. A quantitative research approach was employed using data collected from 281 Indonesian respondents familiar with BYD electric vehicles through an online questionnaire. The study is grounded in Perceived Value Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that all proposed determinants have positive and significant effects on user engagement. Maintenance efficiency emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.263, p < 0.001), followed by perceived affordability (β = 0.232, p < 0.001), environmental awareness (β = 0.232, p = 0.002), and AI-enabled smart features (β = 0.161, p = 0.010). The model explains 36.7% of the variance in user engagement (R² = 0.367). These findings highlight the importance of economic, technological, and environmental factors in strengthening user engagement toward EV brands and contribute to extending EV research beyond adoption-related outcomes in emerging markets.